Rita Kalmbach

Rita Kalmbach was the first mayor of Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada. Before becoming mayor, Kalmbach was involved in numerous organizations - including the Norfolk General Hospital and the women's shelter of Haldimand-Norfolk.^[1]

She is the widow of German-born tobacco farmer Emil Kalmbach; Emil died from Parkinson's disease while on vacation in Mexico at the resort community of San Antonio Tlayacapan in 2009. His remains were cremated in Mexico and Rita returned to political duties at the end of April of that year. Rita Kalmbach was a former student of fellow Liberal member Don Daley of Simcoe.^[2] Kalmbach was a local softball player during the late 1960s and became the first female fast-pitch softball umpire in the area. Her solid performance on the playing field is what led the Simcoe Stars girls' softball team to an all-Ontario title. In her spare time, Kalmbach also did ice hockey and judo.^[3]

Mayoral career

It was during her tenure that Norfolk County became a separate municipality from Haldimand County. Kalmbach was first elected in 2000 and re-elected in 2003 after defeating 21-year-old political neopyhte Brian Decker by a wide margin. While the 2003 Norfolk County municipal election failed to dismantle the tobacco status quo of the municipality, actions by concerned anti-tobacco youth would weaken the influence of tobacco farmers in that region. Kalmbach successfully opposed a county-wide ban on smoking while serving as mayor.^[4] However, she was unsuccessful in opposing a province-wide smoking ban that took effect on June 1, 2006.

Some steps towards creating full-time jobs occurred during Kalmbach's tenure. All parts of Norfolk County reached a state of economic stagnation with the decline in the tobacco industry; this problem also affected the rest of the Ontario tobacco belt including Tillsonburg.^[5] Kalmbach started an economic action plan on January 2001, with the amalgamation of the lower tier municipalities into one upper level called Norfolk County. She claimed never to have hired an extensive number of consultants; liberally accepting applications for planning that directly benefited Port Dover.^[6]

Toyotetsu Canada would build their first automotive parts plant near Simcoe during Kalmbach's tenure.^[7] The Erie Port Authority once spearheaded plans to build a ferry from Port Dover, Ontario to Erie, Pennsylvania that could carry both cargo and passengers.^[8] However, the global economic slowdown would ultimately end the conditions necessary for the ferry to exist starting in the latter part of the 2000s decade.

Post-mayoral career

Kalmbach retired from municipal politics in 2006 after winning the 2000 and 2003 races to become Norfolk's mayor. In both instances she defeated Travale - the current mayor of Norfolk - along with other candidates.

Titles, honours and awards

Shorthand titles

• [Exact date unknown] – January 1, 2001: Mrs. Rita Kalmbach
• January 1, 2001 – December 4, 2006: Her Worship Rita Kalmbach
• December 5, 2006 – present: Mrs. Rita Kalmbach

References